Bromley Trading Standards is reminding residents to remain cautious of identity theft and identity fraud, with advice on how to both deal with it and prevent it from happening. This warning follows a recent report of a resident in West Wickham who was at risk of being a victim of identity theft and fraud. Identity theft occurs when an individual’s personal details are stolen. This may include date of birth, address, phone number, passport & driving licence, email address, financial and banking information. In this example, advice to stop the fraud was given to the resident, but the potential impact for individuals can be highly distressing and time consuming to stop. Identity fraud occurs when those personal details are used to commit fraud, such as:
In the recent example, the West Wickham resident had received an unexpected parcel which was addressed to an unknown name. The resident was then subsequently contacted by their utility company that had received a request for their account to be moved to another utility company in the name of the person named on the parcel. This prompted the resident to seek help to keep their identity secure, including checking credit reports via a credit reference agency and protecting the property through the Land Registry. It is also advisable to keep passwords safe and to change them if there is a suspicion that they have been compromised. Someone may not know that they are victim of identity fraud until they receive bills or invoices for things they haven’t ordered, or letters from debt collectors for debts that are not theirs. Identity fraud can make it difficult for people to obtain loans, credit cards or a mortgage. As soon as it becomes clear that identity theft or identity fraud has occurred, it is essential to act fast. To learn how to deal with identity theft and prevent it from occurring, follow the advice below or visit the Action Fraud website for more information. Action: Contact your bank as soon as possible if the identity fraud involves banking e.g. debit or credit cards, cheques or online banking. You can dial 159 to do this safely and securely. Report lost and stolen documents e.g. passport, driving licence, to the relevant organisations – including where you have provided a photograph of the document. Get a copy of your credit report – this will show you information about any searches done by a lender & what credit accounts are set up in your name. You can then contact a credit reference agency and receive support in resolving credit report problems caused by identity fraud. Speak with family, friends, or someone you trust to help and support you. Consider signing up for Protective Registration via the Cifas Identity Protection Service. Prevention: Regularly check your bank statements. Check passwords and security of your devices and accounts and change these if your identity has been stolen. Report suspicious emails & text messages |
| Visit the Get Safe Online Self-Help Tool Centre on the Get Safe Online website www.getsafeonline.org/selfhelpcentre/Contact Citizens Advice for help and advice on 0808 223 1133 or on the Citizens Advice website www.citizensadvice.org.uk/Report to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or on the Action Fraud website www.actionfraud.police.uk/Forward suspicious emails to report@phishing.gov.ukReport suspicious text messages to your phone provider on 7726 The Action Fraud website provides a checklist of steps to take to repair your identity and prevent revictimisation Contact your bank if you have given your financial details. Call 159 — Stop Scams UK Sign up for Protective Registration with the Cifas Identity Protection Service (currently £30 for two years) Check your credit score with Credit Reference Agencies – according to the Information Commissioner’s Office, there are three main agencies:
You can also visit the scams page on the council website for more information If there is anything we can help you with please do let us know. Cllr Mike Jack Cllr Mark Smith Cllr Alison Stammers
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